I declare this time to return to our roots.

Hark back to the day when doing whole hog barbecue was something beautiful, special and uniquely southern (or Hawaiian, but for the purposes of my story let’s just make it exclusively Southeastern). When farm to table wasn’t a pretentious concept but an actual tangible thing and restaurants didn’t advertise that they did it; that’s just the way it was. The restaurant owners did it, that’s the way their parents did it, and that’s what their grandparents did before them. It wasn’t a way to show off to tourists, it was just the right thing to do. Buying local was always a “thing” before it was cool. I don’t understand why someone claims that he or she thought of this “buy local, be local” concept 5 years ago because it’s always been like that in the South.

Welcome to Charleston where there is so much locavore culture that it practically slaps you in the face. Obviously, I mean this in the best way possible. I am biased but having both a northern and southern background, I believe that the South is the heart and soul of American cooking. Barbecue especially is a concept so distinctly American that it doesn’t quite make sense unless you’ve experienced it first hand. A beautifully simple concept where the end is the result of years of experimentation, perfection, tradition, and patience. Commonly mistaken for a sloppy and slapdash way of preparing meats, true barbecue is exquisite with notes of hickory, smoke, fire, and any number and amount of spices. No two barbecues I have ever had have been the same. It varies from state to state and in South Carolina it varies within the state itself. I have now been to no fewer than four distinctly different barbecue places within South Carolina and have loved and appreciated all of them in their own right.

Most recently, I had the pleasure of visiting Scott’s BBQ in Hemingway, SC. For those of you that haven’t been to Hemingway, SC let me preface it by saying that when someone says that a building is located in the middle of nowhere that person clearly has not been to Hemingway. It is about 45 minutes west of Myrtle Beach, approximately one hour and twenty minutes from Charleston. The glorious thing if you’re in the middle of nowhere is being enough of a draw to bring in a crowd, something that owner Rodney Scott clearly knows how to do. Very well, I might add.

So well that one of us got REALLY excited about the prospect of delicious noms.

MC at his most giddy

Who am I kidding, I was making the same damn face. Though I’m sure I looked marginally more stupid.

I could go on a rant about Scott being a second generation pitmaster, his recipes passed down from his parents, that he cooked his first hog when he was eleven. But their website explains all that so well. What I will say is this: Rodney Scott is at the very least a gentleman and a true master of his craft. The reason why I even made the trip with MC up to Hemingway was to eat Scott’s famous BBQ in its element. It is one thing to be a welcoming and charismatic person and it is quite another to offer a product that is exceptional within its field. Rodney Scott is one of those rare people that has a genuine, confident attitude and the product to back it up.

Speaking of the product:

Whole hog bbq, slaw, and fresh beans

I have eaten pork many, many times in my life. So much so that one of the nicknames my family has for me is “pork chop”. So let’s just go out on a limb here and say that I’ve seen enough to know that I haven’t seen it all when it comes to whole hog bbq. This was, without a doubt, one of the most delicious barbecue plates I have ever had the pleasure of eating. What really sets Scott’s bbq apart from other ‘cues I’ve had was not the sauce. While good, it was not anything truly memorable in the long run. The pig, on the other hand, was PHENOMENAL. I have never had the pleasure of eating pulled pork that was so pure yet so complex in taste and texture. It was obvious that this had been cooked with such patience, started multiple hours before we had arrived. Not overtly smoky and the farthest thing from dry. Yes, you heard me right. So often when one eats pulled pork it has a tendency to be dry as the proverbial bone. Sure, when smothered in sauce almost any pulled pork would be delicious. But what sets this bbq apart was the fact that it was actually better without the sauce.

Go back and re-read that sentence again.

“…it was actually better without the sauce.”

I don’t think I’ve EVER said that phrase before in the history of this blog. Sans sauce? Not I. Give me my mayonnaise, my siracha, my aioli. I love it all. Except ketchup. But let me just tell you that the odds of my saying that bbq specifically is better without sauce are slim to none.

Delicious bbq sammy with slaw

Nothing beats a pulled pork sandwich on slaw with Wonder Bread.

In no way am I embarrassed by this

Unshockingly, I ate ALL of the pork. Judge me all you want, haters. It was worth every delicious bite.

Though I was stuffed to the brim with food, I still really wanted to grab a picture of our gracious host before I left. He insisted on my being in the picture, something that I’m not usually fully on board with, but there are exceptions to every rule, no?

The man, the master

The man knows his ‘cue. If you’re a true BBQ enthusiast no foray to South Carolina would be complete without a trip up the coast to a little town outside of Myrtle Beach. Tell Rodney that your friends from Charleston sent you to find the juiciest pulled pork in the state. You will not be disappointed.

Visit them on Yelp

The reason why I’ve gathered you all here today is to underscore the fact that I can be an absolute idiot when it comes to leaving the safety of the peninsula. I’m the equivalent to the person that lives in the City who thinks that life ceases to exist once you leave the 212 area code. What is there that’s really all that worthwhile for me that isn’t within biking distance of my house?

In a word: plenty.

I have lived in Charleston for long enough at this point in my life that I should have ventured to Park Circle before 5 weeks ago. The first time was for Sesame Burger and unfortunately I did not make it a blogging occasion. I have to say that in my head I had set the bar so low that I didn’t deem it good enough to merit a blog post. I am such a snob. On said occasion, I dined with MC and ordered a turkey burger. While not the most fantastic burger I have ever had the liberty of noshing on, it was a revelation within the realm of  turkey burgers. The sweet potato fries were an absolutely perfect crispy texture and their homemade mayonnaise was tasty enough that I felt indulgent enough to dredge my fries through it. All in all, I feel incredibly sheepish and am willing to admit that I was wrong about Park Circle. It is most definitely worth the short trip up I-26 to get a great turkey burger.

Now that I’ve properly prefaced my recent foray into food outside of downtown, I will delve further into the true purpose behind my post and also the brief discussion about pizza.

I went to EVO.

Nationally renowned for their thin crust and delicious locally sourced ingredients, EVO is situated right in the middle of the Park Circle restaurant scene. Naturally I was simultaneously curious, excited, and skeptical of this “new” restaurant. While I’ve heard literally nothing other than glowing reviews about this establishment, they were still a foreign bird to me. I always try to maintain an open mind when trying new places but it’s usually really easy to slip into snarky critic mode. This next question is rhetorically posed to anyone that’s ever written a critical statement before: Is it not so much more satisfying to write a bad review of a restaurant/book/movie than a good one? I know according to Thomas Hobbes we are all inherently evil but I refuse to fully subscribe to his point of view. While I do thoroughly enjoy delivering harsh criticism when it is due, conversely, I also relish the opportunity to heap praise upon those that are deserving of recognition. While many of my contemporaries are cynics, not naming names here people, I like to think of myself as a positive realist.

Any potentially negative thoughts (if any) that I may harbor about the place are secondary and irrelevant; EVO is thoroughly and undeniably fantastic on all fronts. Very rarely do I dine at a restaurant and leave raving like a crazy woman for weeks about how spot on my food was.

Exhibit A:

this shouldn’t work in theory

The lovely Patty purchased me a wonderful iPad for my birthday and dear lord does it take absolutely fabulous photos. Hence ^. Also, let’s talk for a brief moment about the subject of said picture. This, darlings, is Kale Caesar Salad. Kale is far more dense and less water-soluble than, say, romaine or arugula. Therefore, this works far better when the lettuce is shredded to smaller, more bite-sized pieces. Seeing as how we are still very much in winter, kale is in season for the time being. When life hands you lemons, y’all. Being the type of person that very much enjoys both Caesar and kale, I was obviously drawn to this bizarre salad. This dish had an incredibly successful payoff with a creamy Caesar dressing that wasn’t too garlicky as so many of them can be. The golden beets and cherry tomatoes lightened up the density of the dish with crispy little punches among the leafy, dark green legumes. I would handily recommend this and most definitely would order it again.

bibb lettuce salad

This, I was less impressed with. While I did and I always do consistently appreciate fresh veggies in salads, and especially fresh produce in general, I think the dressing was substantially weaker with this dish. Granted, I am comparing what is essentially a very good salad to a particularly fantastic one, truly one of the best that I’ve experienced in Charleston. I wouldn’t say that I didn’t like it, it just wasn’t on par with the craftsmanship exemplified by the Kale Caesar. Not a failure but not nearly as memorable.

I know that you want to hear about the pizzas but you’ll have to be patient through two more FANTASTIC appetizers first. Bear with me, we’re diving in together on this one.

bruschetta with fresh mozzarella

This was something fun that I’m not sure is even on the menu. Patty and Trudi are good friends with the people that own EVO so we got some awesome stuff that’s indicative of the fresh, tasty dishes that regularly come out of their kitchen. The bruschetta was nothing short of delicious. The mozzarella was sinfully creamy and fresh, the tomatoes tasted like they were end-of-the-summer quality, and the pesto was most likely their famous pistachio pesto, normally used in a perfectly excessive way on their famous pizza. I wish this was on the menu because it was sublime perfection.

baguettes with smoked meatballs

And this, oohhhh this. The baguettes with smoked meatballs were possibly my favorite thing up to this point. So moist with such a robust, meaty flavor – the opposite of those crumbly, dried out “mama’s” meatballs that I grew up “enjoying” at many a mom and pop Italian place in New Jersey. They should take a lesson from some southerners that make really fantastic New York style pizza: keep them meatballs juicy! Looking back, I feel like the excessive use of breadcrumbs to hold together meatballs that I’d eaten in my youth seems, well, excessive. Yes, I sound redundant but I’m mostly surprised. Why can a southerner make better meatballs than any I’ve had in New York OR New Jersey?

calabrese and arugula pizza

Oh, yeah, there was pizza too. This was one of my favorites, topped with arugula, feta, parmesean, and mozzarella. It had an almost wet texture with the mozzarella but it didn’t effect the crispy crust whatsoever; it still held up beautifully under the pressure of supporting all that melty cheese and wilty arugula. Still, not the best pizza of the evening, but I wouldn’t kick it out of bed for eating crackers.

mushrooms and havarti

This was half of a tie for first place for me, the other coming up in just a minute. The combined flavors and textures of mushrooms, pine nut pesto, havarti, and parmesean do a memorable pizza make. I cannot express how much I LOVED this pizza. It was hearty and delicate at the same time while also containing elements that usually make my mouth water: funghi and pesto. It was stellar and hands down the best thing I’d eaten at that meal until I tried the following…

margherita pizza

I KNOW, RIGHT. When have I EVER been attracted to the “less is more” theory when it comes to pizza? The answer is never. I am not that person that calls up a pizza place and says “give me your best plain pie”. I’m more the “house special” person who dies a little at the prospect of maximum topping overload. Give me meats on my veggies, 3 cheeses, olives, and pesto. DONE. However, this pizza had none of that. It was elegant in its simplicity and it snuck up on me. I thought for a fact that my ultimate pizza match would have been the “pork trifecta” pizza and that was the beginning, middle, and end of it. Not so fast, chief. While the pork trifecta was indeed delicious, it was too flashy. I appreciate sausage, pepperoni, and bacon with great fervor. But I’m being honest with you, there was no topping this pizza. Even the allure of more than one pork product on a pizza couldn’t take away from the silkiness in flavor and texture exhibited by the Margherita. I appreciate the restraint shown here; to call this pizza “plain” would be an affront.

I would like to finish with an open statement to EVO:

“Dearest EVO,

After having eaten several of your delicious confections, I have come to a conclusion about what it is that your company represents. Your pathos is excellence in simplicity and not only do I fully appreciate and enjoy what you do, I will make it my business to inform as many as I can that you have, without a doubt, created a perfect pizza. Your passion for what you do does not go unnoticed and I thank you for bestowing upon me a culinary gift that I legitimately cherish.

Warm Regards,

Suzie”

1. Circa 1886

One of my favorite restaurants in the city, I cannot say enough about how much they kill it during restaurant week. This menu in particular looks truly stellar.

Maybe I shouldn’t have starred everything…

Myself and MC will be going there on the 15th. There will be pictures of items consumed. Are you excited? I’m excited. Let’s all be excited.

2. The Grocery

Another fabulously strong contender in “underrated restaurants”, The Grocery has recently been one of those dark horse candidates that does exceptionally well with locals. I have had nothing (knock on wood) but rave reviews from guests I’ve sent up there and every meal I’ve had up there has been thoroughly delicious.

I’m getting a little too into this

Seriously, people, they have dessert items that include both churros (!) and “a big s’more”. I adore that Chef Kevin doesn’t take himself too seriously and it shows on his menu. Also, pork shoulder confit with kale, sunchokes, and ::gasp:: turnips?! It’s like I died and ascended to a heaven where they serve only winter vegetables.

3. CO

I understand this is fairly controversial as they’re not as authentic as other Vietnamese restaurants in the area but I cannot pry myself away from their beef pho on a cold day. Though it lacks tripe, it is so comforting and delicious with siracha and a touch of soy. Which I have a picture of, by the way.

sweet but warm and spicy

In addition, Courtney at the bar is really on top of her game. Big fan of hers! I digress. Thank you, adult onset ADD.

vietnamese noms

It’s such a great idea for them to offer three courses for $20 as it’s not that much more than what a lot of their dishes cost regularly. I hope that they do full portions as this would really be a deal for anyone deciding to take advantage of trying multiple dishes from their already gorgeous menu.

4. Stars Grill Room

Another new dark horse contender, but I must say that every time I’ve eaten there for dinner it has been delicious. I went on their 4th day open against my better judgement (the tribe had spoken and wanted to go) and it very nearly blew me away. Easily one of the best parts about the evening was the vegetables. They grill them with some sort of Asian hot pepper that almost drove my tastebuds insane. I had never had anything like it before and continue to crave it until I can consume them again. Luckily, veggies are in no short supply on their Restaurant Week menu.

veggies abound!

I’ve said before that I’m not the world’s largest dessert person so in that same vein let’s talk about the s’mores pie for a second. Patty is also not a huge s’mores OR chocolate fan and girlfriend damn near annihilated that whole piece of delicious pie when we ordered it during our first trip there. The most perfect pie crust: light, buttery, flaky, but with enough structural integrity to hold together melty chocolate and marshmallow. Divine and silky. Do yourself a favor and just order it.

5. The Atlantic Room at the Ocean Course

Just in case you thought I only recommended restaurants on the peninsula, think again! HAHA! The Atlantic Room offers unbelievable views of the 18th green on the Ocean Course, an absolutely gorgeous view even for the non-golf set. Oh did I mention that their menu looks fabulous as well?

flounder, salmon, and steak. oh my!

That flounder alone could probably get me to make the hour-plus trek from my apartment downtown. That short rib doesn’t sound too shabby either. Ok y’all, now that we’re sharing and all: I haven’t been to the Atlantic Room yet. Woe is me. Cue sad trombone. Don’t bag on me too much, I do legitimately want to go! It’s normally so hard to justify making a 70 mile round trip drive just to have dinner but seriously this sounds SO GOOD I might just have to bite the bullet and go for it.

For those of you looking for the full list of menus for Charleston Restaurant Week, I’ve provided the link to their main site here.

Happy eating and have a safe and happy weekend, y’all!

in which i cry myself to sleep

So this happened. I heard almost all of my friends talking about how they were so excited to drink excessively, make poor life choices, and sleep in the next day. I actually did none of the above and had a far better new years eve. I didn’t even get to spend my time with my significant other and I still managed to have the absolute best time of all of my friends. It started with a veritable bang, my friends. Join me!

the night begins with fried risotto cake

A velvety mushroom bisque in which was delicately placed a crispy fried risotto cake. Atop of all of the above was shaved delicate white truffles. Chef John had told me a few weeks earlier that he had just come back from a truffle festival in Italy and it so inspired him that he decided to base his 7 course New Year’s menu around the concept of funghi. To which I immediately started salivating and booked reservations instantly. What had initially started as an intimate date night between my gentleman, who will henceforth be referred to as MC,  and myself overnight morphed into my hearing the following statement from my mother: “Well, honey, would you mind if your father and I joined? And also we have some friends that were looking to make plans.” From two to 12. Then MC couldn’t make it and I was going stag with my parents and their friends. This is marginally less awesome than it should have been. Anyway, let’s continue with the food!

lobster and beef satay

Grilled short rib and lobster satay with local bibb lettuce. Honestly, while this was a valiant effort and it was well executed, this was the least successful dish of the evening. The fact that a dish who’s elements included both short rib and lobster was the least enjoyable should say something for the caliber of the food coming out of the kitchen. The beef was a touch rubbery which was not the end of the world; however, I feel like the texture of the short rib overpowered the smooth buttery nature of the lobster. Normally I am all for the mixing and matching of textures when it comes to lobster and beef but in this particular incantation I feel like the dish didn’t mesh as coherently as it should have. The bibb lettuce salad was delicious and the tarragon vinaigrette was light and crisp, easily the best part of this dish.

seared snapper with lobster hollandaise

I truly do not believe I can commit to words how incredibly delicious this dish was. I have never had a piece of snapper so succulent and delicious as this filet was. I made a comment to a friend at the table, a man who’s nickname I will present without explanation: “Sparkles, this is the meatiest piece of snapper I have ever had. It almost tastes like grouper.” I do not lie. I appreciate local snapper a great deal; it is one of the most clean, flaky and delicious fishes that money can buy in Charleston. I have literally never had snapper like this before. It didn’t break apart instantly when I used the side of my fork to pull pieces off, it was juicier than that. The sear on the top was uncannily good. I’m just realizing that I haven’t even discussed the lobster hollandaise with you all yet. Let’s do that: it was AMAZING. I have never had lobster hollandaise before but that is the most superlative way to describe this rich, fatty, buttery sauce. It clung to the texture of the fish and its richness did not overpower the comparatively delicate flavor of the white fish. As far as I was concerned this was a knockout dish. A feast for the eyes as well as the palate.

scallop and pork belly

There are times in my life when I feel like I must have done something really great in this life or my previous one, that is not up for debate. This dish proves to me that I was put on this earth to enjoy food and to parlay my adoration for all things culinary for the world. The amalgam of flavors featured the beautifully crispy pork belly, the sweet succulent flavor of the oyster mushrooms and the sashimi-adjacent sear on the scallop. This palate created was nothing short of brilliant. I’ll revise that: it was more than a palate, it was a palette for my palate. My only complaint is that the sauce was a touch overboard on the truffles. The dish could have stood alone without more funghi although honestly I just sound ignorant complaining about too much truffle. Let’s just quit while we’re ahead and say that it was spectacular, which it was without question.

rabbit pot au feu

This was another dish that caused Sparkles and I to look at one another and say “Holy God”. Essentially, rabbit stew with parmesean gnocchi, peas, carrots, and pearl onions. Confession: any chef that uses pearl onions, especially in stews, is someone I’d like to hug and talk about our future together as best friends. Also, the gnocchi were light and fluffy, perfect to counterbalance the fatty cartilaginous breakdown of the rabbit.

In a somewhat related side note, let’s talk about how delicious a traditional French pot au feu can be. The direct translation, based on my limited personal knowledge of French (I regret that my taking French throughout all of middle school, high school, AND college is now ancient history) is literally “stock pot” with a specific connotation that the pot itself is used exclusively for stews. While the American equivalent would be beef stew or pot roast, I really enjoy eating this dish with oxtail, short ribs or, obviously, rabbit. In particular this beautiful, versatile meat is criminally underutilized in most American cuisine. Just gamey enough to have a distinctive flavor but not quite as off putting as something super lean like antelope or venison, rabbit has just the perfect amount of fat content and sinew that breaks down when cooked low and slow for hours. This results in a complex texture in much the same way as osso bucco, also resulting in a “no knife required” dinner. Insanely easy, really all that’s required is the initial browning of the meat for color. After that it’s a one pot dinner, consisting of any combination of the following: parsnips, carrots, onions, potatoes, gherkins, turnips, or leeks. This could be a revelation for someone looking to spice up weeknight dinners if rabbit can be tracked down. Imagine how insanely cool it would be to have friends bring over a bottle of Côtes du Rhône grenache or a Russian River pinot noir to pair with your rabbit stew for dinner. So French and sophisticated. I’m actually salivating thinking about this. Note to self: track down rabbit for weeknight pot au feu dinner with friends and MC.

What was I talking about? Oh yes, I’d almost forgotten. Cru. New Years. Rabbit. It’s finally coming full circle. The rabbit was quite possibly the best dish of the evening. It was beautifully balanced and mouthwatering. It’s a shame it came out so late in the courses as I was pushing maximum capacity at this point. I had deliberately worn a dress with a touch of spandex in it because let’s be honest I came in fully expecting to gorge myself. I did. I am in no way ashamed of this. And then out came dessert.

baby biscuit

The biscuit itself was sweet and salty with just the right chewy texture in the center, more like a blondie than a true biscuit. I definitely appreciated the salt with the chocolate mousse; something about the combination of flavors with salt and dark chocolate just rocks me to my core, this coming from someone that’s not huge into chocolate to begin with. The real stars of this dish, however, was the caramel cracked corn and the vanilla crème anglaise. The corn had the same consistency of jazzed up corn pops cereal. I am not kidding, the chefs could have brought out a bowl of these to munch on instead of the actual dessert and I would have been surprisingly ok with that scenario. The one downside would be that I’d miss the velvety texture of that crème anglaise. It was decadent but frothy, whipped to an almost effervescent consistency. It was the perfect balance of cream and bubbles to soak into the biscuit, rendering the whole dish the most delicious variety of individual bites. Though I am not usually a fan of desserts, I could easily eat this at least once every two weeks. This is intended as a soaring endorsement as I don’t feel most desserts are good enough to merit my plowing through unnecessarily high amounts of carbs and sugar. Thoroughly delicious.

Even though I went stag and spent New Year’s Eve with my parents and their friends (the horror!), I would have to say that this was easily the best NYE I’ve had in a very long time. Everyone behaved themselves, nobody got out of control, nobody drank too much and I was in bed by midnight. If you have not spent your holiday like this before, I highly recommend having a civilized NYE if nothing else to avoid deep disappointment with the amateurs out at the bar.

The very best part about this particular New Year’s was the over the top delicious food. Cru Cafe is one of the top low key spots in town and now they can lay claim to being quietly one of the best NYE destinations in a city rich with high dollar open bar and multi-course options. I could not be happier that I chose to spend my time and money there. I can think of no higher compliment to pay all of the chefs and our server Johnny than by re-naming this heretofore dubious holiday “Cru Year’s Eve”. Auld Lang Syne, indeed.

I had a kitchen meltdown.

What started as an innocuous evening filled with the promise of eggplant parmesean turned into a dour exercise in what-not-to-do in food preparation. Let me relay the events as they unfolded this afternoon.

2:30pm – I went for a run at James Island County Park. It was an unbelievably beautiful afternoon and I decided to push myself beyond my comfort zone. Let’s get real, there were a lot of attractive men that were also out jogging today and I didn’t want to look like I was limping along after having done just short of a mile. So naturally, I trotted myself out for just over 3 miles. I haven’t done this in a while and I honestly thought I was about to die. By the time re hydrated  stretched and whatnot I got back to the car and looked at the time it was nearly 3:30. Crap. I know that I’ll have to bust my ass to get home in order to get dinner ready in time.

4:30pm – Showered, almost cooled down, coughing and my shins hurt. But onward with dinner! This fabulous recipe that I found requires one to essentially make lasagna except with eggplant. Piece of cake, right? Lasagna is deceptively simple, it’s just the layers that are intimidating to the uninitiated.

WRONG.

4:45pm – Set up the assembly line prep area to dredge the eggplant in flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs. I am not a complete idiot, I have done this before with chicken parmesean. The chicken actually requires more legwork as tenderizing the breast is required in order for the chicken to cook evenly. The eggplant cannot possibly be more difficult to do than chicken. It’s a freaking vegetable; this item has never had a brain and therefore there is no possible way it can outfox me.

WRONG.

The eggplant decides that it wants to pouf flour directly onto my shirt the second that I gingerly place it into the dish. Not the worst cooking mishap but it’s enough for me to go outside and dust off my shirt, pulling on an apron upon my return to prevent further mishaps. My hands get extremely breadcrummy but it’s not the end of the world; I am used to this. I create a stack of approximately one eggplant’s worth of strips.

5:00pm – I put a large skillet on the stove over heat, adding about 1/4 inch of olive oil when it’s to temperature. Fry time. Eggplants are, once again, gingerly placed into the pan to avoid mess. I’m being really careful, there’s no possible way that I can get an oil burn if I’m going slowly, watching my hands, and not dancing to the Britney that just came on Spotify. I can’t, just can’t possibly burn myself.

WRONG.

5:02pm – Run to the sink and douse my burn in cold water. I feel sheepish as it’s not that large; my flair for the dramatic has overtaken my logic yet again. As I’m nursing my burn, I notice that there is thick black smoke pouring through the kitchen.

5:05pm – Yes. My eggplant is positively blackened. An amateur mistake, but clearly I was already having an off day in the kitchen. I throw out the first batch, dump the oil, wipe the pan and start with the next batch. This time, I stand and watch carefully. If I stand over the pan, meticulously watching the eggplant, it just has to cook evenly, right? If I’m more conscientious then I have to have this in the bag.

WRONG.

5:15pm – Bits of breadcrumb batter explode off the sides of the eggplant, seemingly mocking my growing disdain for them. I understand this is obviously the egg batter cooking but I have never seen eggplant parmesean spontaneously ping apart in a pan before. This is a whole new experience for me.

5:16pm – I pull the second batch of bizarre looking eggplant out of the pan and notice that the olive oil has taken on a dark black color. There is no way that I’m going to fry the rest of the eggplant in this swill so I dump it. Again. I have now gone through almost a quarter bottle of my olive oil, thank goodness it was inexpensive Publix brand oil.

5:20pm – New oil in the pan, new eggplant in the oil. Watching this batch like a hawk. This can’t happen again, right?

WRONG.

5:30pm – The wheels are rapidly coming off the bus.

5:35pm – On my third batch of oil.

5:45pm – Am I doing something horribly wrong? Or did I just inadvertently purchase Satan’s eggplants?

5:50pm – I realize that even after I finish frying all this atrocious eggplant I still have to cook it in the oven for an hour. I start to lose the willpower to finish and wonder where the bourbon is.

6:00pm – I FINALLY finish frying all the eggplant. Over an hour. I want to send a personal “eff you” to Tyler Florence for indicating that the eggplant “should only take about 20 minutes from start to finish”. I’m positive that Ty Flo himself couldn’t even prepare this eggplant himself in 40 minutes.

6:05pm – Start making the ricotta mixture. I go to the fridge to assemble the ingredients. It is simple, this recipe only calls for ricotta cheese, basil, eggs, and parmesean cheese. I definitely have enough eggs to make the cheese filling.

WRONG.

6:06pm – Meltdown.

6:10pm – Thank you; honestly, thank you sooo much Ty Flo for claiming that the eggplant will only require 3 eggs to dredge all four pounds of it through its ovum depths. REALLY APPRECIATE IT. I used five eggs initially because 3 didn’t even seem close and then, guess what? It required THREE MORE in order to get through the rest of the eggplant. That’s right for those of you keeping count: I have already used 8 eggs when the entire recipe calls for 5. I am now out of eggs.

6:11pm – I failed to mention earlier that I am making dinner at my parents house for them because I’m an awesome daughter. Also, being alive 56 years means automatically that your kitchen > my kitchen. I call my mother and ask her half-heartedly if she can return to the house with more eggs. I explain that I have not even put the dish into the oven yet and that it will be over an hour until dinner is ready. My parents opt to have dinner out and decide that we will table, to pardon the pun, the eggplant parmesean for tomorrow.

6:10pm – I concede defeat. I have, in fact, been bested by a vegetable.

6:12pm – En route to the grocery store.

6:20pm – Stouffer’s macaroni and cheese.

6:45pm – Bourbon.

7:00pm – Molten lava that is the mac and cheese is ready.

7:05pm – Shameful consumption of “dinner”.

7:15pm – Bourbon #2.

7:30pm – I look around the kitchen objectively for the first time and realize what a disaster it is. There are breadcrumbs on practically every surface of the counter top, grease consumes the range, the entire house stinks like burnt breadcrumbs and oil, and there is a huge pile of dirty dishes in the sink.

7:35pm – I realize that all the calories I burned today in my run are out the window with my liquor consumption and frozen food. Life. I’m doing it wrong.

7:45pm – Commencement of cathartic blog writing.

I have to admit, I do feel better about it now. Only marginally, there’s still this that awaits me.

white people problems

More bourbon is a necessity.

Let’s segue back to those Charleston restaurants, which is why you’re probably here. The following statement contains absolutely zero sarcasm: I love when people do their jobs so well that it makes it exponentially more difficult for me to do mine. By this I mean that it is a borderline travesty that there are so many amazing options when my guests ask, “Where should we eat dinner tonight?” My knee-jerk response is: “Well, what are you in the mood for? Upscale/casual? Seafood/steak/Italian? Special occasion?” Please people, help me help you. There are about 150 restaurants in the Historic and Upper King Districs, all within walking distance of one another (barring unforeseen laziness, the wearing of high heels, life-inhibiting injuries, etc). Say you’re looking for a place within these lines: upscale but not stuffy, special occasion, consistently good quality food, a menu with variety, excellent service, oh and price is not an problem because someone else is paying. Here’s a good list to get started: Charleston Grill, Hall’s Chophouse, and Circa 1886. Did I forget something? What a coincidence, I went there recently.

Yes, yes. It had been the better part of three years since I had last dined at Peninsula Grill. While I’ve always appreciated the place, I needed to get a new perspective on their offerings since Graham Dailey took over as Executive Chef.

First before we delve into the food, I will give you all an exclusive look at their exquisitely appointed dining room. I was lucky enough to arrive there mid-day when the light was best for picture taking. Behold!

sexy bar area

dining room

our fantastic table

table plus bonus historical figure

yet another shot of their lovely dining room

it’s a shame it’s too damn hot to sit outside in July

So yes, it was truly wonderful of them to let me come mid-day to take some pictures of their dining room and courtyard. I love the use of neutral greens with the mixture of velvet wall coverings to absorb the sound. I especially like their woven grass floor as it is completely unique and also quintessentially Charlestonian, an homage to the ladies and gentlemen weaving their sweetgrass baskets just steps away in the marketplace. The lighting is impeccably orchestrated with spotlights aimed at almost every table; it was neither too bright nor too dim within the dining room during the evening. Overall, I would give them 4 1/2 stars on decor. Perhaps the only thing they could do to make the experience more appealing would be to add some live jazz, though I’m not sure where they would be able to fit in a trio or even a duo without some serious dining room adjustments. The only reason I’m even mentioning this is because I have so many guests that ask me where they can go to see live jazz. It’s probably the #4 most popular food question I get at my desk. In case you were wondering about 1-3, I’ll enlighten you.

1. Where do we go to get fresh seafood?

2. Can you get us in to Husk? No seriously, the hostesses must know that WE are in town and are therefore holding a secret, magical table for us and we just know you can get us in!!!! (It is exhausting. Just go there for lunch and call it a day, y’all.)

3. What is traditional Lowcountry cuisine and where can we eat it?

I promise, my only gripe is a question I ask as seen through the eyes of my guests. I am fine without the jazz but it seems as though most of my peoples are not.

Before we get to dinner itself, I have to call attention to the waitstaff for a moment. I have encountered service at almost every restaurant in Charleston county and the waitstaff at Peninsula Grill easily outstrips just about every one. I would put them on par with Hall’s Chophouse, The Woodlands Inn, FIG, and Charleston Grill with no questions whatsoever. What sets Peninsula apart is that I feel that they embody traditional southern hospitality with every fiber of their being. While the other restaurants offer excellent service, Peninsula adds a southern flair that is without parallel at any other establishment in the Holy City. Thank you to every member of the staff for creating a wonderful and memorable evening for me and my dining companions.

And now, on to my favorite part of the evening: the food.

amuse bouche

Forgive me, it has been a few weeks since I have dined there and this post is going up late so I don’t recall with distinct clarity exactly what this gazpacho was. I recall there being a tomato flavor with goat cheese and that it was the perfect amount of salt cracked on top. And also that it was thoroughly enjoyed by every member of my table.

scallop amuse

We were basically treated like royalty this evening and received a second amuse bouche from Chef Graham. This one was more memorable as I can still recall the flavor profile: seared scallop over collards with diced fresh mirepoix plus squash. While the individual components were quite good what really pushed this dish over the edge was taking a bite with all three elements at the same time. The texture combination was unique and divine: the borderline sashimi scallop counterbalanced the fresh crunchy veggies and the collards had a hint of hammy sweetness to them. They were the perfect texture of wilty with an al dente bite. This is the textbook example on what an amuse bouche should be: two bites where all elements are designed to be consumed at once.

On to the appetizers.

steak tartare

delicious texture

The steak tartare was the first of our shared appetizers to arrive. The elements featured on the plate were rye toast points, capers, olive oil, and salt and pepper sections at 3, 6, and 9 o’clock. The method of consumption was relatively straightforward: take a toast point, top it with tartare, dredge it through the olive oil and dust with a touch of salt and pepper. Essentially, the classiest dip I’ve seen in a while. Though that description doesn’t really do it justice; this was probably the best steak tartare I’ve had in Charleston. The texture of the meat itself was smooth and velvety but what really set this dish apart (with the exception of the presentation) was the fact that the toast points were made with rye bread. They could so easily have gone with white but the caraway flavor with the beef was so appreciated. Plus, the salty pop of the capers felt central to the experience and I definitely saw the bite that chef was aiming for. A knockout.

heirloom tomato salad

Another delicious and successful appetizer, this time an heirloom tomato salad. We have been fortunate enough this year to have the most delicious tomatoes I have ever have the pleasure of enjoying in my entire life. I think it must have been our spectacularly short winter coupled with an extremely long growing season. The tomatoes were rightfully the star of this dish though the pistachios were the perfect texture variation.

lobster 3 ways

unfortunately shady lobster pic

This dish is the definition of decadent, described as having “ravioli, tempura, and sauteed” lobster. I would say with conviction that the best of the three was the sauteed variety. While the tempura was delicious it was a touch too chewy and the ravioli was about 45 seconds underdone, making the pasta just a hair firm. The sauteed was melt-in-your-mouth and paired perfectly with the tomato-basil vinaigrette in which it was placed. I say placed as opposed to swimming as it was the perfect amount of broth with a drizzle of olive oil.

And the entrees.

duck breast

This was my dish. I can say that the most successful part of the dish was coincidentally the most important: the protein. While I did enjoy the texture of and the rub on the duck and the watercress-mushroom salad was actually quite good, I was not a fan of the “parsley and chive potato cake”. Had there been just parsley and chives in that potato cake, I’m sure I would have loved the dish in its entirety. As it was, there was a strong blue cheese mixed in amongst the potatoes. Not being the largest fan of blue cheese in food (I feel it tends to be so strong that it overpowers the whole dish), I was put off by the huge bold flavors competing with the comparatively delicate duck and salad. Had this been just plain whipped potatoes or even potatoes without blue cheese, this could easily have been my new favorite duck dish in town. Alas, I feel this dish as a whole fell just short of something that I would order again.

pork chop

The bourbon glazed “berkshire” pork chop. I feel that this dish was more successful than mine was; the pork was perfectly butchered and brined, the potatoes were crispy, and the collards were of an impeccable texture. The only fault I could find with the dish was the barbecue sauce. With the salty flavor profile of the potatoes and the pork juxtaposed against the vinegary-sweet collards there really wasn’t much room for another bold flavor on this dish. The barbecue sauce, while an unbelievably silky texture, was too sweet for the rest of the dish. I feel either a more mild or a spicier sauce may be more successful with this dish than the current sauce. Overall, it wasn’t enough to put me off completely from the dish as every other element of the dish was delicious and memorable. I would give this a B+ for effort, creativity, and execution.

scallops

This, I believe, was the star of the evening. Those scallops were a delicious, succulent texture and the potatoes were a beautiful consistency. The lobster broth, along with bonus diced lobster pieces in the bowl, was fantastic. Clearly a lot of thought had gone into the preparation and execution of this successful dish; it only just barely went a touch overboard. The potatoes competed just a hair too much with both the lobster pieces and broth. I feel that with a little less flavor to the potatoes this would easily be the best, most delectable scallop dish in the city. It is definitely up there now but maybe a little tweaking would elevate it even further.

Dinner was so ridiculously delicious, rich, and filling that we had to physically fight ourselves to save room for dessert. Because no trip to Peninsula Grill is complete without…

banana panna cotta

See what I did there? While their famous coconut cake is absolutely delicious, I will get into that in a moment. I need to devote some love to the banana panna cotta. I’m sure I’m going to go against the majority with this one: the bananna panna cotta is the best dessert on the menu at Peninsula Grill. Hands down. The only dessert that can hold a candle to this is, in fact, the coconut cake but the panna cotta is on a different level. The creaminess beneath the chocolate ganache shell is unprecedented and silky. It tastes of pure, rich, real ingredients and is every bit as decadent as the bananas surrounding the plate encrusted crème brûlée style with a caramelized sugar layer. I would go back for this dish alone, shamefully stuffing my face but legitimately not caring how much of an unabashed fat kid I am.

coconut cake

I really don’t mean to slam their coconut cake as I stated earlier because it is really, really something to write home about. It is by far the lightest, fluffiest coconut cake I have ever had the pleasure of enjoying. While it is thick and rich it is not overly sweet or dense; it perfectly bridges the gap between strong flavors and edibleness. The slice is so large that it simply must be split between two or more people as there is virtually no way that a normal person (I say normal because I’m sure an offensive lineman could gulp it down no problem) could finish it, especially after two courses. It is, what many would consider to be, the perfect dessert. It truly does not get much better than this, unless you’re including the panna cotta.

chocolate extravaganza

While this was probably the best looking of the three, I must admit that I was a little disappointed in this one. I am not the world’s largest chocoholic so I cannot say that I was really in the mood for chocolate this evening. It was extremely rich, which I am sure would appeal to someone who is a larger fan of cacao than I, and it simply could not be consumed in the absence of a glass of milk to wash it down. A little too thick and dry overall and it could use a touch more moisture to make it more appealing, at least to me.

Overall, it was a truly excellent and memorable dining experience. My only complaints are relatively minor and involve individual components going a little overboard on bold flavors. While not a huge problem, it definitely makes me consider to whom I would recommend this specific restaurant. That is not my condemning my meal or the experience; rather I’m happy that I now have a specific demographic that I can market to. Peninsula Grill is a perfect location for a special occasion: it’s a little quieter on the inside than Charleston Grill, the dining room is smaller and more intimate than at Hall’s Chophouse, and their desserts are as good as or better than at Circa 1886. The atmosphere is dark and romantic, encouraging guests to linger and enjoy their conversation longer than they would at one of the larger, noisier restaurants in the area. In summation, if you’re looking for a spot where you’ll be pampered with excellent service and fed rich, decadent, memorable cuisine, I can think of no place in town better to spend a birthday or anniversary than Peninsula Grill.

I’ll read you on this one: pho, falafel, chili, ice cream, mac and cheese. Getting warm?

While I can identify with you on all counts (it warms my heart to think of chili) my answer is none of the above.

I absolutely adore Italian. I will crave a hot bowl of pasta above nearly all else from now until the end of time.

My family was also in wont of the sweet allure of ravioli and tagliatelle so we branched from our normal Mercato comfort zone. A departure  for us creatures of habit but it does pay to freshen up our dining choices from time to time. In this case, we went to Osteria La Bottiglia on bridge run night. Oh speaking of which, I nabbed an awesome shot of the bridge that my friend brushed up a touch on photo shop. Behold!

Despite the fact that the Cooper River Bridge Run may or may not have been a total disaster this year, it doesn’t take away from the absolutely gorgeous scenery encountered along the way. Or the delicious food eaten later.

Speaking of food, I have gotten mildly off topic. Most people carbo-load pre bridge. I, on the other hand, decided I wanted pasta after the bridge run, only after I got my pork fix.

Maybe some of you recall the blowing of my mind last year when I encountered Porchetta. A refresher:

Yup. Osteria had it on the menu the other night too.

Oh. Emm. Eff. Gee. A traditional Central Italian street food, porchetta consists of a pig being deboned, reassembled with multiple layers of fat and meat, stuffed with herbs and spices including (but not limited to) rosemary, garlic, and fennel, that is then rolled, spitted, and roasted. The result is the most delicious, moist, flavorful, decadent, ridiculous, over-the-top, unbelievable piece or pork you have ever tasted. Bar none. I promise you. It is literally insane to think about how much work goes into making this pork product; it makes curing bacon look like a walk in the park. If you have never tried porchetta before I highly recommend you research it a little to find where you can purchase it. While surprisingly rare in the Southeast, it is well worth the extra effort. Oh, and the salad was good too.

Fava bean and ricotta salad with toasted almonds. A fresh, light summer salad with a delicious fresh Italian theme. For the life of me, I don’t understand why so many people hear the phrase “Italian food” and associate it with heavy gut-bomb cuisine. Do me a favor, read any Giada de Laurentiis cookbook and tell me if you find one recipe that makes you feel so heavy you’ll be sick and have to take a nap after. Bean salad is a delicious way to enjoy spring and summer greens without feeling incredibly full prior to your entree.

This salad truly takes the cake. Delicious fresh mozzarella, roasted peppers, aged balsamic, fresh basil; this puppy has it all. As far as caprese salads go in Charleston, this is right up there with the best of them, if not the absolute best one. Gorgeous presentation without being too pretentious for what it is. A knockout that pleases both the eyes and the mouth.

I have been to Osteria just a handful of times since they’ve opened. I would say of those 4 times, I have ordered this dish 3 times. It is legitimately crave-worthy. I tried one time to get something else and actually I succeeded in ordering another menu item. While equally delicious (it was Osso Bucco, I mean COME ON how can it not be amazing), it just could not hold the proverbial candle to the duck confit with pasta. This entire dish is so sublimely successful in flavors, execution, and presentation that it has easily become one of my favorite Italian dishes anywhere, and not just Charleston.

On a side note, remember Mistral, the country French place formerly perched at South Market Street? I’m sure anyone who’s been in Charleston over 5 years recalls hearing jovial dixieland tunes spilling out of their front entrance on any given night. If you’re like me and miss specifically the music of Mistral, you’re in luck. On Wednesdays, Osteria plays host to that exact same band and their upbeat, fun brand of music. It is definitely worth grabbing a glass of wine or a fantastic pasta dish at the bar to hear the talented musicians wail on banjos and trombones.

Osteria is a delicious, inexpensive neighborhood haunt that is worth a try if you remember how fantastic Il Cortile used to be. Whether you want to forge a new path or replicate a delicious Italian memory all without putting a sizable dent in your wallet, I recommend doing so at this adorable eatery.

I have been unbelievably lucky to dine at several restaurants since we last spoke. I actually just got back tonight from The Grocery, which is one of my new favorites. I never in 8 billion years thought that I’d get lucky tonight (in reference to the blog) but so I have. Nonetheless, I have come up empty-handed for pictures and would be unable to document exactly what was consumed and how utterly delicious every morsel I devoured was. And trust me, it was delectable.

Pressing on, I recently dined at The Glass Onion with some foodie friends. I had heard tell that their fried chicken Tuesdays were a particularly noteworthy treat and our consensus was “must go” from basically everyone that I mentioned our prospective dinner to. Let’s just dive in before you try and guess my reaction to the place.

Let’s start by saying that I love all of the elements involved here. Honey, yes. Corn bread, dear Lord yes. However, this execution left something to be desired. What I love about many corn bread varieties is the crisp on the outside and the almost dry texture inside, obviously made more palatable with a touch of butter. Unfortunately, this was not the case here. The corn bread was soggy and I couldn’t even eat it with my hands. I decided to use a fork and knife because “when life hands you lemons”, etc. It was like a tasteless, squishy sponge. I have actually read stellar descriptions online of their cornbread and I have to wonder: is it always like this? Did we maybe get a bad batch? Am I in the minority here? Too many questions for something we got before the actual apps. Speaking of which:

The fries were pretty good and tasted like actual potato for once. The hollandaise was hollandaise. Nothing really to write home about. They were good, not amazing, but I wouldn’t have any shame if we left some in the basket when the server bused our table (because I know you secretly have “I didn’t eat all this food and the chef is absolutely going to see my full plate before it goes to the dish pit and therefore hate me” anxiety).

Les shells et fromage. I will admit, this was actually quite disappointing. I’m sure that at this point you’re probably aware that we asked for the server’s recommendations on almost everything. Taking that into consideration, what I expected was artisan cheeses draped elegantly over a dish of baked shells and topped with a light dusting of crispy breadcrumbs, freshly pulled from the broiler. What I got was marginally better than Velveeta. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not too much of a snob to appreciate a box of some 2% Milk Velveeta Shells and Cheese from time to time.

Seriously, if you’re feeling like crap and don’t want to cook or order takeout, that yellow box is the freaking jam. However, I do not like to expect small batch and then get fresh out of the box.

This was a great improvement. A touch on the salty side (even for a cured meat) but it was satisfying. The 4 bite salad served alongside was the best thing we had eaten thus far. We polled the table and all were in agreement.

I’d rather just get all the negativity out right now and then we’ll move on. Yes, those are fried oysters. More often than not, they are absolutely righteous and could exist as their own food group. I adore them. I once called a chef at Cru Cafe the “oyster whisperer” to his face because the oysters he prepared were so indescribably wonderful. Trust me when I say that it would take extreme circumstances for me to leave even one of these delectable bivalves on my plate. As in, the world is ending and there is literally a nuclear bomb headed straight for the Eastern Seaboard and you have 30 seconds left to live. In which case I would probably say “Well, it’s been real” and then eat the last oyster. That being said, these fried oysters were….not good. At all. The breading was too thick and salty, the oysters themselves were too flabby and squishy, and just the texture all around was so off-putting. It took everything in me to push them across the table. I have never refused oysters but I had to take a pass on these.

This was duck breast served atop what I believe was rice and beans (apologies, this dinner took place a few weeks ago). Beautiful presentation and I will give an A for effort for the plating alone. However, the duck breast was also severely lacking. It was very heavily seasoned with a strong cardamom-adjacent flavor, normally something that makes me drool when it comes to duck breast. This was just over-seasoned and I’ll chalk it up to one of the line cooks being trigger happy with the rub. While the duck exterior may have been palatable had there been less of it, the texture was the more egregious error. I typically prefer my duck medium rare, which is normally the way most chefs recommend it, but this was borderline raw and therefore tough and chewy. It completely changed the texture of the duck breast to the point that I had to saw my knife through it to even cut off a piece. Had I ordered this dish, I would have sent it back for a cook up. My companion that ordered this was also not in love but didn’t want to ruffle any feathers. Unfortunately, yet another miss.

While this picture doesn’t do it justice, this dish was actually quite good. The braised short rib meat was well seasoned and moist, as all braised meats should be. It was obvious they had made the pasta fresh and it had this interesting rough cut texture to it that I really liked. I would say this and the 4 bite salad were the true winners so far.

Bringing this full circle, we went there for Fried Chicken Tuesday. A day so holy, they can only have it once a week. Such a rare bird, so to speak, that you must order your cuts of chicken a week in advance to ensure you’ll get to gorge yourself on poultry until you burst at the proverbial seams. Or rather, so that the chicken will be brined and ready for consumption by Tuesday. Be you of the light or dark meat persuasion, they will prepare their chicken specifically for you upon your arrival. I was feeling adventurous and decided to go half and half: white because I personally like the cut of breast meat the best and dark because it almost always has more flavor.

It sure does look beautiful with either white or dark meat. To be honest, the dark meat was good. Plenty of flavor and moist almost the entire way through. The white meat was bone dry and pulled apart in strings. It was really disheartening considering how much we wanted to like it. My group consisted of 4 fried chicken fans and we walked into the place in a great mood, ready to eat what many consider to be the best fried chicken in the Lowcountry. I’m not talking just random public opinion, freaking TED LEE was dining 3 tables over from us. The man knows him some southern food and he looked perfectly at home tearing through a huge plate of chicken. This made me feel even worse about my disappointment. If someone with such a highly regarded southern palate likes the food there then why didn’t I?

I guess the main source of my disappointment wasn’t actually the chicken; it was the collards. Disclaimer: I will absolutely not profess that I have eaten them my entire life. On the contrary, I only first tried collards when I was 18 years old and had moved to Charleston for college. I grew up in New Jersey, the land of “if you’re not Jewish, you’re Catholic” and collards are the punchline of a joke about the Civil War. My renaissance of southern cuisine is new, relatively speaking. That being said, these were the most disappointingly acrid greens I have ever had the displeasure of trying. No redeeming qualities other than the texture.

I know there are plenty of food reviewers and bloggers like myself that absolutely relish the opportunity to write a scathing review of a restaurant experience. I personally hate it especially when I like the people involved; I have that same knot in my stomach that I did when I thought I had lost the password to my blog (which I actually had and then the internet saved me). The Glass Onion is by no stretch of the mind a bad restaurant; on the contrary, I absolutely adore that they have the whole “buy local, appeal to locals” concept down better than almost any other restaurant in Charleston county. They serve local fish, greens, chicken, meat, and rice in an atmosphere that can be described as a comfortable weeknight neighborhood haunt. It has a broad appeal that would apply to either an inexpensive date night or a family dinner, a rare feat among our many area establishments. The absolute best thing they have going for them is their service. I wish I could recall our server’s name because she was fantastic. (Katie?) Every person that we encountered inside the restaurant had an infectious enthusiasm for the product that they were serving; it made us want to order everything off the menu. Any business would benefit from a workforce that was so fully committed to their continued success. Overall, they are a truly strong performer in the service and decor arenas. I honestly have one complaint: I wish their food was better.

As you may be aware, I had misplaced my password to my blog for quite some time. There was absolutely no way that I could think of to retrieve it. No password hints anywhere on my computer or in my emails. I had barricaded that password so deep in the recesses of my mind that there was no way that even I could recall what it was. I was devastated. I felt like the best part of me ceased to exist; I lost countless nights of sleep because I was so worried that I would never be able to post on this blog again. Cursed with a heavy heart and a knot in my stomach, I had resigned that I would have to rename my blog and start fresh. Until today. Yes, dear readers, as a result of the blessing of modern science, I didn’t have to. The internet and its many intricacies is veritably more adept than any of us give it credit for. My extension of my best qualities (my blog) and I have been reunited after months. And it couldn’t feel better.

Downstairs dining room at Anson

Downstairs dining room part deux

Upstairs dining room at Anson

Shot deux of Anson’s upstairs

I know, right? They’ve been transformed from a somewhat stuffy restaurant that catered mostly to older clientele to a swanky, more sophisticated, sexy space near the market. And yes, I’m just talking about the atmosphere here, people. I haven’t even gotten to the best part.

Like you don’t know what I’m about to follow that statement with.

Deee-licious crab cake

A crab cake. And a pretty fantastic one at that. The pickled veggie on top escapes me at the moment but I loved the pairing with corn and spicy remoulade. Not the most amazing I have ever had in my entire life but it was a delicious crunchy texture on the exterior and almost entirely jumbo lump crab in the middle. Would I recommend this dish? Definitely.

Pork belly with brussels sprouts and okra

I have to say, this was an absolutely gorgeous presentation for what is typically one of my favorite dishes at any restaurant. (Shocking, I know. Me and pork? [I guess grammatically speaking I should refer to the two of us as "pork and I" as in "good ol' pork and I held hands and skipped off happily into the sunset together." But that's a different story entirely]) I do have a minor complaint about it, though. The recipe’s flavors were exceptional: the okra was perfectly crisp as if it was fried for about 45 seconds, the grits were creamy as any I’ve had in Charleston, the brussels were a surprising and welcome edition. The only part of the dish I wasn’t in love with was the pork belly itself. It was a touch on the tough side and there wasn’t nearly enough fat to give the meat the flavor it deserved. I can assume it was butchered improperly which isn’t the worst offence a restaurant can make but the dish just missed the mark for a truly flavorful protein.

Crispy risotto cake

This on the other hand was a truly stand out dish. I was informed that this was originally on the menu at Garibaldi’s, Anson’s sister restaurant that is in the process of moving over to East Bay Street. It is essentially a “slice” of risotto that is deep fried and served with cream sauce, tasso ham, and shrimp. One of the members of our party is not a seafood fan so we opted to go sans shrimp which was absolutely fine; the dish was still packed with texture and flavor. I have ordered this many times and it is ridiculously consistent and a truly phenomenal, dream-worthy dish.

Heirloom tomato panzanella salad

OMFG. Another ridiculous standout dish. There are almost no places that do panzanella salads in Charleston and it’s a veritable shame. For those of you that are unfamiliar with a salad of this ilk, panzanella is a salad typically served in summer that consists of fresh tomatoes, stale bread soaked in water then squeezed dry, oil, vinegar, and various other vegetables like zucchini, onion, etc. And it is awesome for us closeted fat kids out there that love bread in any form. This one also had house made goat cheese cubes and LE YUM this really made the dish pop. This should be on their menu all summer until every last one of us is sick of fresh John’s Island tomatoes.

Beet salad with toasted pecans

Yes, Anson makes their beets in house. Yes, I’m not the world’s biggest beet fan but GREAT GODS OF SALAD these are delicious. I would order this one with no prompting next time. Me. Beet salad. In happy matrimony. Btw, I am an idiot for not boarding the beet train until this moment.

Drum roll please….the entrees.

Whole crispy flounder

I understand that those of you might consider this a touch barbaric and I would definitely see where you are coming from. I admit that I didn’t voluntarily order seafood until I moved to Charleston. Let me rephrase that: I didn’t eat seafood until I moved to Charleston. Even then it was as if I was dragged in kicking and screaming. Now I can’t get enough of it. Seriously. I was absolutely dying over this flat fish with its spicy apricot-shallot glaze. The cross-hatch pattern across the top lends itself well to knife-less consumption. Anson’s rightful signature dish.

Close up of the texture

YES. Sorry, moving right along.

Grouper with tomato-based stew

…and served over Carolina Gold rice with mussels and chorizo. In all honesty, I don’t feel like it’s in my best interest to deliver ultimatums. I’m not in the ultimatum business. That disclaimer having been stated, this was without a doubt the best grouper I have had in Charleston and possibly ever. Better than Red Drum’s, better than Coast’s (I know, borderline blasphemy). No joke, this was a dish without flaw. The chorizo is such a unique pairing with an ocean fish like grouper and when served with the stew the dish is robust without being wintry and complex without being overwrought. I have always loved this particular preparation that Anson does with their “market fish” but served with the grouper was the best incantation I have ever had from them. Without parallel in Charleston.

Roast half duck confit

I absolutely adore duck and wish that I saw it more on menus in this town. Done properly, it can be a righteous knock out, a one-two punch of flavor and a texture all its own. That being said, I had the bar set impossibly high for this dish. I want duck to blow me away every time I eat it. I guess I’ve gotten spoiled eating the sumac rubbed duck breast appetizer at Muse because it’s so good. Unfortunately, I feel like this dish missed the mark a little. While the leg and the confit were absolutely stellar (which I will talk about in greater detail in a moment) the duck breast itself was the low point of the dish. I loved the parmesean polenta and all the root veggies were standouts too. But it was kind of impossible to ignore the elephant in the room. The shining star of the dish was the most disappointing aspect of it. It is supposedly cooked for a day sous vide in a vaccum-pack to infuse it with moisture and flavor. It was moist and juicy, don’t get me wrong, but it was a touch cold. Because the breast was cold it had a somewhat limp texture. Such a shame for such a gorgeous piece of duck. The leg, however, was an entirely different story. It was gorgeous and crispy on the outside, warm and tender dark meat inside. Easily one of the better things we ate all night. It’s a shame they don’t serve just a double portion of the leg instead.

Filet mignon with green beans and potatoes

Pretty standard fare here. The filet was a perfect texture, I loved the bordelaise sauce, the green beans were bright and snappy, and the potatoes were craveable. Not breaking any new ground but I like that Anson has an “inoffensive, crowd-pleaser” dish on their menu. It was great for what it was, I just usually order dishes that showcase the restaurant’s signature style.

NY strip with french fries and pimento cheese

Maybe I’m a bad Charlestonian (or rather an Adoptive Charlestonian) but I am not a huge fan of pimento cheese. There, I said it. I am not big on the texture and I feel like it’s shockingly pedestrian in a town that prides itself on having good taste. I understand that it’s a quintessential part of the food culture of the Lowcountry and there is a vast majority of locals that go nuts for the stuff. Maybe it’s because my parents own a cheese shop and I’ve been spoiled with a never-ending bounty of phenomenal cheese. I am just not on board, y’all. I love boiled peanuts, collards, oysters, and Lord knows that baby girl loves her some pork. But I can’t help feeling like pimento cheese is vastly overrated considering it consists of shredded cheddar cheese, mayonaise, pimentos, salt and pepper, and maybe a few other items like jalapenos or onions. That’s it. Seriously. I should probably go board up the door and hide in the basement because I’m sure that I’ll hear the angry villagers with their pitchforks and torches storming up the street any minute.

That being said, I’m happy the pimento cheese was on the side. The strip was delicious and the french fries were right up there with them. Again, if I’m going to Anson I don’t typically order steak unless it’s their new signature ribeye which, by the way, is ridiculously good. This particular strip was a great cut and passable as a juicy everyday steak. At $28 it’s really hard to beat in a town with three prime steakhouses.

Overall, Anson is a great restaurant able to stand the test of time. Time is usually unkind to many places, especially restaurants (just ask Mistral and Meritage). They’ve been around for the better part of 20 years in a town that prides itself on weeding out inconsistency. That’s saying something. When a place can withstand many different chefs and weather the winds of change admirably, then we know we’ve got something special. I’ll never forget the first time I ate at FIG as an adult with adult taste buds (because Lord knows I didn’t have any until a few years ago). I did some research on the place and found out that Mike Lata in all his James Beard (and mustache, for that matter) glory was the exec at Anson for a spell. Anson so inspired him to buy and cook local that he opened a restaurant where their whole raison d’être is farm to table. If that in and of itself isn’t reason enough for you to check them out then I don’t know what to tell you other than, “Get off your ass and go to 12 Anson Street immediately. It’s well worth the trip.”